Phoenix Arizona

City of Mesa utilities: connecting with our community since 1917

The City of Mesa has a reason to celebrate. The city has provided safe,

reliable natural gas and electric service to its customers for nearly a

decade – 90 years to be exact. In 1917, the City of Mesa acquired its

electric and natural gas systems from Dr. A.J. Chandler. In honor of this

milestone, Mesa utility customers are invited to join the Utilities

Department at a celebration on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the

Utilities Building, 640 N. Mesa Drive.

Come out and enjoy a food and a variety of activities and displays to learn

more about your utility provider. Activities include a demonstration of the

laser gas leak detector that can detect methane gas remotely, a natural gas

explosion chamber, an electric bike, which challenges you to generate

electricity with your legs, a spinning wheel that tests your knowledge of

Mesa’s utilities, and more. Learn how to read your natural gas and electric

meter, how to reset your breaker, what natural gas smells like, and how much

energy you can save by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs. There will

also be equipment on display, such as a gas sniffer truck, a backhoe, a

boom/digger truck, and more. The event offers something for everyone.

For more information about the event, call (480) 644-2265 or visit

www.cityofmesa.org/utilities.

The October 6 event also serves as the kick off for Public Gas and Public

Power Weeks, which run from Oct. 7 to 13.

Public Gas Week, an annual nationwide event sponsored by American Public Gas

Association (APGA), is intended to build awareness of the benefits of having

a community-owned natural gas distribution system. There are approximately

1,000 public gas systems nationwide. APGA advocates for these publicly owned

natural gas distribution systems.

“Mesa’s natural gas system continues to be a valuable community asset

controlled by our customers,” said Gerald Paulus, gas division director.

“We are committed not only to continue our legacy of quality service, but to

look for opportunities to improve operations and better serve the

community.”

Mesa is also celebrating Public Power Week (PPW) along with more than 2,000

other electric utilities that collectively provide electricity on a

not-for-profit basis to 44 million Americans. PPW is a national, annual

event sponsored in conjunction with the American Public Power Association

(APPA) in Washington, D.C. APPA is the service organization for community-

and state-owned electric utilities.

“The anniversary celebration and Public Power Week gives us a chance to

highlight the City’s role in effectively powering Mesa’s electric service

area,” said Marty Hunter, electric division director. “Our employees work

day and night to provide safe, reliable power, all at comparable rates, with

a focus on customer service and environmental stewardship.”

The City is proud of its heritage of providing safe, reliable natural gas

and electric service to our residents. For more information about the City

of Mesa Utilities Department and the many services it provides, please visit

www.cityofmesa.org/utilities. For more information about APGA or APPA, visit

www.apga.org or www.appanet.org respectively.

Facts about Mesa’s natural gas utility

. 52,000+ metered service lines.

. 90 square miles in Mesa city limits and 236 square miles in Pinal County .

1,088 miles of distribution lines . Four gate stations (where natural gas is

transported to Mesa’s distribution system)

Facts about Mesa’s electric utility

. 16,400 residential and commercial customers served . 5.5 square miles in

the heart of Mesa . 183 miles of overhead primary lines . 226 miles of

underground primary lines . 13 substations